The 2025 CSU Student Research Competition (SRC) will be held at Cal Poly Humboldt (Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26).
The California State University Systemwide Student Research Competition is an annual event that brings together scholars from the 23 campuses of our California State University system. The competition showcases undergraduate and graduate research, scholarship, and creative works by recognizing outstanding student accomplishments. Undergraduate and graduate student participants from all disciplines are judged by experts for their oral presentations and written abstracts. Students who compete in the CSU Student Research Competition can win $500 for first place and $250 for second place recognition in their session.
CSUCI students are encouraged to submit two pages (maximum) research summary to present at this year's CSU Student Research Competition (SRC). Appendices (bibliography, graphs, photographs or other supplementary materials) are optional, may not exceed three pages total, and should be delivered separately from the written narrative. This event is the premiere showcase for student research in the CSU. Undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled at any CSU campus and alumni/alumnae who received their degrees in spring, summer or fall 2025 are eligible to participate in the SRC. Each CSU campus is allowed up to 10 projects.
To participate, students must submit a five-page research summary by Sunday, March 2, 2025. See the submission guidelines below.
Please submit your research summary here.
CSU Student Research Competition 2025 Timeline
- March 2, 2025: complete research summaries are due
- March 10, 2025: student selections are announced
- March 12, 2025: students' registration (if their submission is accepted)
- April 2025: students prepare oral presentations
- April 25 & April 26, CSU Student Research Competition takes place at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Submission Guidelines
Students must submit a five-page research summary. The format of the summary is prescribed by the SRC.
The research summary must adhere to the following guidelines:
- It is limited to 2 pages of text, single-spaced.
- 3 additional pages are allowed for a bibliography, figures, tables, and/or graphics
- Student authors should keep in mind that they are writing for an interdisciplinary audience
If we receive more than 10 CI student project submissions, a group of interdisciplinary faculty will review and score the research summaries. Selection will be made on the quality of the summary and with efforts to ensure a contingent of student projects that is broadly representative of academic disciplines.
Disciplinary Categories
- Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration
- Biological and Agricultural Sciences
- Business, Economics, and Hospitality Management
- Creative Arts and Design
- Education
- Engineering and Computer Science
- Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences
- Humanities and Letters
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Interdisciplinary
COMPETITION GUIDELINES
Students will present their work orally before a jury and an audience. Students will compete by discipline category and, typically, by division (undergraduate/graduate).
Student presenters will have 10 minutes for an oral presentation of their work and five minutes to listen and respond to juror and audience questions. It is expected that a student will not make a presentation by simply reading directly from the written summary. In cases in which entries are multi-author, we recommend that oral presentations be made by no more than two students, with any additional group members, as relevant, responding to juror and audience questions.
All entrants may use audiovisual materials as appropriate, and presenters are encouraged to use delivery techniques that promote interaction with the audience.
Entrants in the Creative Arts and Design category may present an audio and/or visual recording of a performance they have given
or a work they have created; their oral presentation should focus on the rationale
and historical context underlying their interpretation of the material.
Each entry (oral presentation plus written summary) will be judged on the following:
- Clarity of purpose
- Appropriateness of methodology
- Interpretation of results
- Value of the research or creative activity
- Ability of the presenter to articulate the research or creative activity
- Organization of the material presented
- Presenter’s ability to address questions from the jury and general audience
QUESTIONS
More information about the overall competition can be found at the 2025 CSU Student
Research Competition website. Additional questions related to the CI Student submission and selection process
should be directed to Dr. Ahmed Awad, ahmed.awad@csuci.edu